Nutmeg Exhibit

Tips on Graphics

Quality graphics are critical to your booth's success. Industry research has shown that the average visitor will review your graphics "billboard" and determine within seconds if they will visit your booth. To be effective you must be able to quickly:

  • Identify who you are (company name/logo)
  • Illustrate what you are displaying or demonstrating
  • Convince attendees that they should visit you to learn more.

Your exhibit house or ad agency can help with developing copy and graphics layout.

Graphics Copy

  • Use headlines. They are read five times more than body copy.
    1. Emphasize only one benefit. Promises, such as "Cut costs by 50%", are the most effective.
    2. Use an action orientation such as "See the worlds FASTEST motorcycle".
    3. Address the buyer. Focus on benefits such as "Increase your personal productivity by 40%".
    4. Use the word "New". It is a universal, powerful attention grabber.
  • Be concise. Use bullet phrases, but limit them to two or three per product.
  • Use generic names that are widely recognized such as "Fishing Reels" rather than "Penn 4500". This allows visitors to self qualify.
  • Appeal to your target audience. If you want to attract engineers, use the word "Engineers" in your headline.
  • Ask a question such as "What is today's most dependable car?"
  • Talk to your sales staff to identify customer "hot buttons" and incorporate them.
  • Be consistent. Use the same tone, style, phrases and format throughout all of your graphics.
  • Use simple, direct language.

Graphics Layout

  1. Headlines should be visible and large enough to be read from a distance.
  2. Incorporate your corporate logo. Display it prominently on your booth so that it can be seen from a distance and from all approaches. This also helps post-show recall of your exhibit and products.
  3. Use mixed case letters with an easy to read typeface. Except for headlines, avoid using all capital letters, as they are harder to read.
  4. Use colored rather than black type.
  5. Avoid reverse copy (i.e., printing light-colored type on dark backgrounds).
  6. Avoid clutter. Retain a lot of white space.
  7. Avoid graphics on mirrors. Mirrored surfaces and copy don't mix.
  8. Use product photographs or illustrations to facilitate product visualization. Photographs are recalled approximately 26% more effectively than illustrations.
    • Incorporate people in photographs of equipment to help them better relate to their own situation.
    • Irregular shapes, photo cutouts and silhouettes create striking visual effect.
    • Mount photographs properly and protect with lamination or clear Plexiglas.

General Tips

  • Keep your graphics, especially headlines, high. Primary graphics should be kept at eye level or higher so that furniture, booth staff or visitor traffic does not obscure them.
  • Light it up! Backlighting and downlighting give graphics impact and draw visitor attention.
  • Product displays are an excellent complement to product copy signs.
  • Quality is important. If your budget is limited, several high quality photos or graphic signs are preferable to a larger number of lower quality or smaller signs.